East Aurora superintendent's contract lengthened to 5 years

East Aurora District 131 board members are so pleased with the district's new superintendent that they extended her contract by two years Monday night.

Superintendent Jennifer Norrell, who became superintendent July 1, will now work for the district through June 30, 2023, according to the new contract.

The board cited her role in finalizing the union contract this fall for teachers and support staff, and her assessment of the district's needs. In particular, it cited her work to approve student attendance, increase enrollment in Advanced Placement classes, and mandating reading classes for high school students who score below 70 percent on national assessments.

Norrell's pay remains the same as in the old contract for the first three years: $215,000 the first year, $221,450 the second and $228,094 the third. The last two years will be determined later.

Benefits also remain the same: An $18,500 contribution to an annuity each year, $350 a month for vehicle expenses, 20 vacation days a year and 15 sick days per year.

The new contract is more specific in the goals set for her. It says Norrell is to aim for a 10 percent increase in the student-growth scores on standardized assessments for the elementary and middle schools, a 10 percent increase in college-readiness scores, and a 5 percent increase in the high-school graduation rate.